Customer Reviews

To Dream Like God, Vol. 1

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This review is written from a perspective of a recent believer who was also a long-time atheist. Please note that I became a believer several months before being given this book by my mother-in-law.
----

This volume was a deeply moving book consisting of multiple stories that either directly affected the narrator telling it or directly happened to the narrator. He wrote like an academic, but also shifted into an emotional, active participant (rather than passive observer) of what he experienced. He wrote beautifully, detailing the stories that brought together these volumes. He drew from his own experiences, which means he touched on the Baptist denomination a lot.

The first half's scenery centered on Amazon, while the other half centered on areas like Tennessee and North Carolina. In particular, Knoxville! I'm 2 hours away from Knoxville, so this really hit home for me. Truthfully, I should say that it centered entirely on God.

I loved his storytelling abilities! He grasped emotions deeply and brought them out of us as we read along. I felt hopeful and had glimpses of God's glory through this book. It's really dynamic!

This particular Volume has two parts.
Part One was titled "...And the Angels Laughed". This first part of the volume held two premises: The Quest (And Its Results) and Aftermath: The Fellowship of Story. This part of the book the most insightful and telling view of how our relationship with God is. We don't find God, God finds US.

Part Two was titled "The Eloquence of God". This second part of the volume also held two subtitles: Chronicles of Zion Springs and Chronicles of the Appeal. This part really took the theme of a storyteller and provided deeper view at God being the Master Storyteller of all. Yulan also took stories that we would find deeply sad and turned them into joy, focusing on the glory of God.

Part Two also held my favorite narrative, one that brought me to tears. It is the first story you come across in this Part, titled 'Garlan & Helen'.

----
Last notes:

It does and will create a high need to acquire the second volume and finish it to its conclusion. I haven't gotten to that yet. There are several things that bothered me about this book. This volume needed a more meticulous editor. For example, there were spaces between the word before a comma (like this , you see), the occasional 'a' before words starting with vowels, and occasionally switched at inappropriate times between past and present tenses.

Also, I can't find the website provided in the book. Granted, my edition is 2005 edition. I also can't find anymore information on Yulan Washburn, as well as being unable to locate this book on Goodreads to give it a review. It seems strange to me that this highly gorgeous rendering of Yulan's experiences would go unnoticed, as well as the man himself.

I do highly recommend this book to any unbelievers and believers.

A fantastic saga of the journey from athiest college professor to believer. A must read for anyone who is or has searched for truth. A notable addition to the literature of spritual adventure.